


Two Sides

by sasha_b



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Comment Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-18
Updated: 2014-03-18
Packaged: 2018-01-16 05:04:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1333000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sasha_b/pseuds/sasha_b
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post beach divorce, Erik visits Charles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Two Sides

**Author's Note:**

> Written for LJ community Comment Fic, prompt: opposite sides of the same coin.

Charles lays in the bed, the only noise the _blip blip blip_ of the machines that keep track of his life force. Erik could have told them he would be fine - the story that Charles' blood flow tells him inside is still strong and _there._

No thanks to him.

_She didn't do this, Erik. You did._

He shakes his head. The helmet is heavy but it serves a purpose. He supposes it's a bit pedantic, really, or more likely his own albatross, but what can he do? Charles is too powerful and too interested still in fixing what he thinks is wrong with Erik. Although now Erik doesn't know if the other man would bother.

It's half past the darkest hour and he sits at Charles' bedside, wearing the helmet, no one around, Hank, Charles' constant keeper, off to get something to eat or to read a report or to brood. Erik doesn't care. He will take the few moments he has to sit at Charles' bedside in the military hospital outside Miami and stare at the man in the bed who still has more life in him than Erik has in his little finger, anymore.

Strength, Erik has in spades. He is focus and purpose and will and determination. Life, no.

Life was gone a long time ago, no matter what Charles thought.

He lets his face compress in a rare show of emotion (these days) and after exactly two seconds of thought, removes the helmet and sets it on the table that holds a gorgeous display of daisies (funny that Charles liked them so much) and leans forward, not touching (he won't do that; Charles might feel him even in his induced coma). The moon highlights the other man's brown hair with stripes of gold and maize and Erik's eyes narrow, internal vision seeing only each moment with Charles, the water, the cold of the ship warmed by Charles' calm voice and reassurance, the ridiculous CIA "secret base" friendly because of the other man's presence, the huge house, full of Charles' smell and huge soul, the satellite dish and the sound of shrieking metal and God -

Erik sees the one day - the _one_ day - they'd had not worrying about training or the government or helping people or fixing the broken children or anything else save themselves. The field they'd sat in and talked for hours and had eaten sandwiches made by Charles' own hand and the wine they'd drunk and Charles' hand on his temple and the other man's skin on his - soft but resilient and firm and smooth and warm and

He stands like a shot and slips the helmet back on. The moon is almost down now and Hank will be coming back, and Erik could destroy the boy scientist with a thought, but he doesn't want to have to. He'd like to steal Hank for himself; the boy is nothing if not a genius, after all.

He turns and exits the private hospital room, not looking back, not seeing the man he - loved, wanted, the thing that made him whole - not seeing Charles looking tiny in his white bed. He sees the beach and his failure at everything and having to leave Charles there because _we don't want the same thing after all._

A coin that jangles in his pocket. Split down the middle, forever separated.

Erik walks through the garden at the back of the hospital and draws the coin from his pocket, still rusty and iron flecked. He looks at it, concentrating, and the thing floats in the air, dull and old. A tiny sound - the coin rips down the center and falls to the ground with what should be thunder and is merely a quiet _tink_ that brings a death's head grin to Erik's face.

He levitates with a gesture and is gone with the setting of the moon.


End file.
